RE-ELECT KAREN SYLVESTER

  • CVUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION

    • Board of Education: President (2022-23) | Board Clerk (2020-21) | Board Member (2020-present).
    • Budget LCAP Committee.
    • Visual and Performing Arts Strategic Planning Committee.
    • Career Technical Education (CTE) Advisory Committee.
    • Student Wellness Committee.
    • Greater Conejo Chamber of Commerce and Workforce Development Committee.
    • Facilities Committee.

  • PARENT SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS

    • District Advisory Council (DAC): Executive Board Member-At-Large | Site Representative (Westlake High School) | Site Representative (Westlake Hills Elementary).
    • School Site Council: Member (Westlake High School) | Member (Westlake Hills Elementary).
    • PTSA Executive Board: President (Westlake High School) | Executive Vice President (Colina Middle School).
    • Westlake Hills Elementary School PFA: President.
    • Westlake High School Theatre Arts: Volunteer Coordinator | Parent Communications.
    • Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) DAC: Representative (Westlake Hills Elementary).

  • COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

    • Thousand Oaks Council on Aging: City Council Appointed Commissioner.
    • Measure I Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee: Member.

  • PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

    • CAST Management Consultants: Vice President/Project Leader.
    • Bankers Trust Company: Vice President (Management Consulting Group, Retirement Services Division).
    • PriceWaterhouse: Associate (Litigation Consulting Practice).
    • Chase Econometrics: Account Relationship Manager | Economic Analyst.

  • EDUCATION

    • Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration: Master of Business Administration degree (MBA).
    • The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania: Bachelor of Science in Economics degree (BSE), summa cum laude, phi beta kappa.

IN MY OWN WORDS…

It has been an honor and privilege to serve Area 1 as your school board Trustee since 2020.

My CVUSD journey began when I first stepped foot on a campus in 2001 when my oldest child started kindergarten at Westlake Hills Elementary School. Nineteen years later my youngest graduated in 2020 from Westlake High School. During that time I was an active volunteer and respected parent leader at all of my children’s school sites and I worked tirelessly to improve the educational and co curricular experience for all students.

Over these many years I have built strong relationships and earned a solid reputation with parent groups, teachers, staff, and administrators. Their encouragement led me to run for a seat on the CVUSD Board of Education in 2020 and they are an important part of the reason I am seeking reelection.

I bring a unique and valuable perspective and skill set as a School Board Trustee due to my educational background and professional experience. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, summa cum laude, from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, I went on to earn my MBA (Master of Business Administration) from Harvard Business School. I then embarked on a professional career in management consulting and banking. I have held Vice President/Project Manager positions at CAST Management Consultants, Bankers Trust Company, Price Waterhouse, and Chase Econometrics.

As a consultant, I was brought in to identify issues and solve problems for large corporations and financial institutions. Some of these issues were comprehensive in nature–such as developing a strategic marketing plan based on a customer needs segmentation–while other projects were more granular, such as reorganizing back office functional departments to more effectively and efficiently operate. The skills to develop these solutions involved analyzing complicated quantitative data such as financials and market statistics as well as assessing anecdotal qualitative input from all relevant stakeholders, such as the CEO, the Board, employees, the sales force, customers and even competitors. Synthesizing all of this information and determining the best course of action often led to hard conversations and decisions throughout the organization. All recommendations, decisions, and action plans had to be fiscally responsible and financially justified. For these organizations the ultimate metric is financial performance.

My combination of CVUSD knowledge, school site leadership experience, and educational and professional credentials enables me to be an effective Trustee. I have demonstrated an ability to thoughtfully and logically assess the issues and make rational decisions. And for this organization, the CVUSD, the ultimate metric is student success.